Special 2024 Bond Edition

BOND 2024 BOND 2024 Five propositions on May ballot

For more than 115 years, Longview ISD has been the gold standard for education in East Texas, and is the largest school district in Gregg County, serving more than 8,000 students on 14 campuses. That’s why Longview ISD’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved calling a Bond Election for May 4. It has been 16 years since the last major investment in LISD. The 2024 Bond will ask voters to consider five propositions. As a member of our community, you will have a direct impact with your vote. Affecting every student, every teacher, and every parent.

In 2023 and 2024, LISD conducted community-wide surveys to gather feedback

Vote|Continued to page 5

ABOUT THE BOND

The Longview ISD 2024 Bond is broken down into five propositions for the May 4 ballot.

The bond proposal focuses on addressing aging facilities and safety & security measures within the district.

In Their Own Words

It has been 16 years since voters approved the 2008 Bond. That bond helped pay to build new campuses at Bramlette, Hudson PEP, J.L. Everhart, Ned E. Williams and Ware elementary schools, as well as Forest Park and Foster Middle Schools. The bonds also paid for renovations and additions to Johnston-McQueen and South Ward (now Bailey) Elementary Schools, Judson Middle School, and Longview High School.

Special Bond Edition

Sharing information about the 2024 Bond Election

Mike Gipson

Sharing classroom space at LHS

With continuous growth comes some growing pains and Longview High School is starting to feel it.

Currently, there are eight teachers who do not have a dedicated classroom to conduct lectures and classes. They are forced to use shared spaces like the library or the small theater, two locations that are used frequently in non-classroom settings.

being able to walk over and point it out,” teacher and coach David Ashley said.

At certain times of the day, there could be as many as three different types of classes being conducted at the same time.

“You can’t leave anything in [the small theater] because it gets used all the time. As a history teacher, I can’t put maps up on the wall so I’m constantly having to go back to the board and pull it up instead of just

“It can get kind of difficult to conduct class when you have two other lecture classes going on, so it gets to be a distraction for the students,” Ashley said.

Along with the distractions, Ashley and his students must float to different locations on occasion due to class pictures and other events that use the small theater space.

“We’ve missed an entire

week of classroom time because we have nowhere to go, but where they can put us,” Ashley said. “It’s a constant

adjustment for the students and they’re missing out on the things that they should have been getting without this.”

In Their Own Words David Ashley

A closer look at Longview High School projects

Proposition A would provide funds to create additional classrooms and cafeteria space as well as expand the band hall, art classroom space, and renovations to the small theater to accommodate more students at Longview High School.

Longview High School was built in 1976, more than 50 years ago. No major investments have been made in 16+ years and enrollment has grown to more than 2,300 students.

Due to the lack of space, eight teachers do not have a permanent classroom for lectures and classes. Three teachers share the Little Theater at the same time to conduct their classes due to a lack of space.

The award-winning LHS band, The Big Green Marching Machine has grown and thrived since the school first opened with 150 band students in 1976. Today, there are 240 band students, which is 20 more than the capacity of the current band hall. The band does not have enough storage space for instruments and must share rehearsal space with the choir program. Prop A would provide funds to renovate and expand the current band hall.

Lobo Coliseum was built with the original construction of LHS. The flooring has never been replaced and is past its life expectancy. The lighting is also original to the building.

Prop A would include renovations to the restrooms, a new sound system, new flooring & LED lighting inside Lobo Coliseum.

Currently, Longview ISD offers 22 programs of study that prepare students for in-demand, high-wage occupations, and offer dual credit and industry-based certifications.

In three years, Career and Technical Education (CTE) has grown by more than

2,200 students and continues to grow. Each year, Longview High School is turning away students every year due to lack of space, and some programs have been moved to the high school campus due to the space limitations.

Prop A includes a new, 95,811-sq foot CTE Center that will include classrooms and lab space for nursing, culinary, cosmetology, Ag, and Engineering.

Above: Due to a lack of space, eight teachers do not have a classroom to conduct lectures and classes. Three classes have to be taught simultaneously in one space.

Early Grad High School would receive updates

The Early Graduation High School in Longview ISD is home students looking to complete their high school diploma. The program was created in 2006 with just 45 students and has grown to more than 220 students.

The current building that houses the program was built in 1928, almost a century ago, as the public school in Longview.

“The building still has a lot of features from the 1920s,” Early Grad HS Principal Kristi Means said. “We use so much technology now and the building is just not set up to be able to handle the technology needs of the students.”

With the program growing each semester, Early Grad HS is out of space for more students looking to enroll. Students from outside the district are applying to attend, but the principal gives first selection to current LHS students.

“We’re not able to meet the needs of the amount of people that are applying. We have many students apply here from other area school districts. We’ve actually had people move here from out-of-state that want to come to our school,” Means said.

Proposition A will convert existing, unused space at the Early Graduation High School into five additional classrooms

DID YOU KNOW?

The Early Grad High School building was built in 1928, almost a century ago. The Early Grad HS program was created in 2006 with 45 students. Today, there are 224 students in the program.

that will add 100 seats to the campus.

The current locker rooms will be repurposed for additional space for Career and Technical Education courses.

Career & Technical Education would expand

Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides students with a pathway straight into the workforce following graduation for those students…

The demand for jobs in CTE is increasing and CTE students typically graduate high school with certifications in their field. Completing just one to two years of dual credit course during high school can save a student $20,000 to $30,000 in tuition.

Currently, Longview ISD offers 22 programs of study that prepare students for in-demand, high-wage occupations, according to Texas labor market information, and offer dual credit and industry-based certifications.

The LHS CTE program has grown by more than 2,200 students in just three years.

With the continued growth, Longview High School is turning away students every year.

The programs more directly affected by growth are welding, transportation, nursing (Health Science), culinary, plumbing, cosmetology, Graphic Design, Plant Science(greenhouse).

The current CTE Center is 27 years old. The lab and classroom spaces do not meet industry standards for square

footage, safety features, ventilation, and storage of materials.

Proposition A includes a new, 95,811-sq foot CTE Center. The new facility will include classrooms and lab space for nursing, culinary, cosmetology, Ag, and Engineering. The old CTE spaces in the high school will be converted to new classroom space for core classes.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Longview High School Career & Technical Education Program has grown by 2,200 students in the last 3 years.

Above: Current conditions at the Early Grad High School

Above: Current conditions at the Career and Technical Education Building

Above: Proposed New Career and Technical Education Space.

Addressing aging facilities in Longview ISD

Proposition A also includes HVAC replacements & repairs, mechanical infrastructure replacements & repairs, plumbing replacements & repairs, pressure washing & repainting, and replacement of drinking fountains.

The HVAC units in all schools are at the end of their 20-year useful life, and last year, the district spent over three hundred thousand dollars making repairs to these aging systems.

Replacing HVAC units throughout the district will make schools more energy efficient and lower energy costs.

Schools affected: Longview HS, Early Grad HS, Bailey ES, Bramlette ES, Hudson ES, JL Everhart ES, Johnston-McQueen ES, Ware ES, Ned Williams ES, Forest Park MS, Foster MS, Montessori Academy, Judson MS & ECC.

Safety and Security top priority in district

Safety and Security was a top priority for Longview ISD and the board of trustees when considering the 2024 bond proposal.

“When we started developing the safety and security measures that we were going to include in the bond, there were several things that we wanted to focus on,” Director of Safety Scott Fisher said.

“Safety and security is a very important part of a school district in our administration. And we want to make sure that we have the safest, most secure schools possible.”

In May 2023, new state mandates now require additional security features for Texas schools. The state provided an additional 35 dollars per student, but the district’s safety and security needs have been calculated to be $200 per student.

“We have quite a few campuses that we’re wanting to provide coverage to meet the letter of the law,” Fisher said. “When you think of the improvements that we’re wanting to make to the overall safety and security, those types of projects can be expensive and the state is just not providing adequate funding

to cover all the things that we want to provide to improve that safety and security for our campuses.”

Proposition A would include security cameras, security film, public address systems, fencing, fire alarms and improved door hardware at all Longview ISD campuses.

In Their Own Words Shameika Allen

Bus Barn too small for current staff

Longview ISD utilizes 49 buses to transport more than half of the total student population each day. The district also employs 117 staff members to operate those buses and the bus barn.

The current bus barn facility was built in 1989, 35 years ago, when the district had less enrollment and less bus routes.

“Currently, we are running approximately 50 routes and that requires a bus driver and

a monitor for each of those routes. We are operating out of a 1,200-square-foot building. We have one restroom for the males and one restroom for the females,” Transportation Coordinator Darryl Dans said.

“When we have to have a meeting, we have to go to another campus to meet in their

facilities, which is often hard to do when we are trying to meet with staff members.”

Proposition A would include a new, 10,000-square foot bus barn that will house offices/ dispatch, a bus driver lounge, multiple restrooms for bus drivers and staff, a conference room, reception area and storage.

“The transportation department is kind of spread out. Half of us are in the administrative offices and the drivers are housed out of the bus barn. So the bond would put us all under one roof where we could see drivers on a daily basis, visit with parents and conduct business more effectively,” Dans said.

DID YOU KNOW?

Longview ISD utilizes 49 buses to transport more than 4,056 students daily, covering more than 8,114,468 miles per year.

Above: Current conditions at Longview Early Grad High School.

Above: The Longview ISD Bus Barn and Office was built nearly 35 years ago

Playing for Keeps at full capacity

Playing for Keeps Child Development Center is a state-recognized four-star program that aims to provide high-quality care and education for children.

Playing for Keeps was established in 2008 for children of employees, students, and families in the community. The facility also houses the Early Head Start program in Longview.

The current facility is at capacity now with a waiting list of 75 students.

“One of the hardships that we have faced over the years is having enough space to provide adequate care for our staff and students, and that number has increased tremendously in the last four years,” Playing for Keeps director Lisha Fuellen said. “So we typically are limited with how

many students we can take.”

“This is an old building. It was built in 1955 and although the structure is still standing, we are limited in what we can provide for the students and children that we need to serve.” Fuellen said.

Proposition B would fund construction of a new Early Childhood Center complete with 30 classrooms, a library, kitchen and gymnasium to replace the current facility.

The new center would expand pre-kindergarten access, which studies show boosts later academic performance, and offer daycare for district employees to aid teacher recruitment and retention efforts.

Renovations to the existing Early Childhood Center building are also included to create office space for the district’s technology and special educa -

DID YOU KNOW?

Students who attend Pre-K meet and exceed pre-K literacy goals while also outperforming other students in literacy assessments when they reach Kindergarten.

In Their Own Words

Lisha Fuellen

VOTE |Continued from page 1

from all stakeholders. The district took several steps to create a bond package that meets the needs of the students and staff. The LISD board of trustees held weekly board meetings through the month of January 2024 to learn more about the concerns of the community and develop the scope of the bond.

In February, the LISD board of trustees unanimously approved calling a bond election for May 4, 2024.

It has been 16 years since voters approved the 2008 Bond. That bond helped pay to build new campuses at Bramlette, Hudson PEP, J.L. Everhart, Ned E. Williams and Ware elementary schools, as well as Forest Park and Foster Middle Schools. The bonds also paid for renovations and additions to Johnston-McQueen and South Ward (now Bailey) Elementary Schools, Judson Middle School, and Longview High School.

VOTE EARLY APRIL 22-30

tion departments after those programs relocate.

One of the renovation pieces would also expand bathroom acces for the children and staff.

“There are 55 adults in this building each day,” Fuellen said. “And we have two restrooms that accomodate those 55 adults.”

Above: Current conditions at Playing For Keeps Child Development Center.

Current conditions at Playing For Keeps Child Development Center.

Aging athletic facilities at LHS

PROPOSITION C addresses

aging athletic facilities, including constructing a new multi-purpose student facility with a 120yard turf field for marching band and sports, batting cages, golf simulator, weight room, locker rooms, and coaches offices. It also funds renovations at the high school’s soccer, baseball, softball, and tennis facilities, with upgrades like new bleachers, lighting, press boxes, storage areas,

dressing rooms, and a covered tennis facility to allow for play during inclement weather.

The plan aims to provide updated, expanded athletic spaces to accommodate growing student participation and relieve overcrowding issues at the current aging facilities. Relocating some athletic operations would also free up additional classroom pace at the main high school campus.

Coach King talks old facilities, lack of space

Longtime LISD Athletic Director John King started as a Lobo over 25 years ago when LHS had 2400 students. Today, LHS has 800 HS / 1003 MS students working and practicing in the same facilities, and most have not had a significant investment in over 20 years.

SOCCER, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL FACILITIES

King pointed to issues like bleachers in need of replacement, lack of press boxes, and inadequate restrooms at the soccer stadium constructed in 1998. Similar deficiencies exist at the 1988 baseball stadium lacking first base seating, and the 1999 softball field lacking proper dressing areas.

“We have quality playing surfaces, but the surrounding amenities and infrastructure no longer meet current standards for our student-athletes and spectators,” he said.

TENNIS COURT COVERS

The district’s 12 tennis courts are among the best in East Texas, according to King, but currently lack any covering for inclement weather. The bond proposal would construct an enclosure allowing matches and practices year-round.

MULTI-USE ATHLETIC FACILITY

Multi-Use Athletic Facility

A proposed multipurpose student activity center aims to create a modern space for athletics, band, and physical education.

Features would include:

• 120-yard indoor turf field for marching band, sports practices, P.E. classes

• Batting cages, golf simulator

• Dedicated storage for bands, athletics

• Weight room, coaches offices, locker rooms

• 700 sq ft athletic training room

“The current 40-yard turf room from

2011 does not provide adequate space for a marching band to properly rehearse, and it’s overtaxed by the 38 percent of high schoolers involved in athletics,” King said, noting the new facility’s artificial turf would require less maintenance long-term than grass practice fields.

King said the project consolidates multiple needs like indoor practice areas, storage, and strength/conditioning spaces into one building versus renovating multiple aging structures.

PARKING SOLUTIONS

King also noted the parking challenges caused by the condensed spring sports calendar, when baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, and swimming events frequently overlap, creating a spectator parking shortage the bond proposals aim to address.

PREVENTING FUTURE COSTS

While the bond proposals carry a significant cost, King stressed they ultimately

aim to protect taxpayer dollars by preventing further deterioration of facilities.

“We’re at a point where investing now can provide quality facilities designed for long-term use,” he said. “But if upgrades are deferred, escalating maintenance and interim repairs will start impacting operating budgets meant for instructional priorities.”

King said the investments “align with the community’s expectations for comprehensive academic and athletic offerings.”

Lobo Stadium in need of renovations

PROPOSITION D addresses renovations at Lobo Stadium, the high school’s main outdoor venue built in 1975, and Judson Middle School Stadium, constructed before 1988. Planned improvements for the nearly 8,600-seat Lobo Stadium include resealing concrete, installing LED lighting, adding storage/restrooms for referees and a changing room, renovating concession

stands, and relocating the long jump pit to allow hosting of district track tournaments. At the 1,600-capacity Judson Stadium, which last saw major work in 2010, new lighting will be installed along with other upgrades. Both stadiums host numerous athletic events, competitions, and community gatherings throughout the year, serving thousands of spectators.

New natatorium to replace aging Swim Center

Originally built in the late 1970s as a military training facility, the Lobo Swim Center is home to 50 swimmers at the high school and middle school levels.

The current pool has five lanes, forcing students to share each lane during practices. Eight lanes are required to host competitive events at the school.

The current swim center is past its useful life. The district spends more than $40,000 for repairs and upkeep each year. Without bond funds, repair costs come out of the district’s M&O

budget, money that is allocated for classroom and instruction funds.

Just this past year, the pool was down for two months because of repairs. Many children were unable to receive swimming lessons this past summer. The second time the pool was down was just before LHS swimmers went to regionals and state. The student-athletes had to utilize a community pool for training.

Not only does the current Lobo Swim Center service LISD students, The Longview Metro Aquatics Club also utilizes the center during the summer for swimming lessons and other activities.

Proposition E includes a new natatorium with 20 25-meter lanes, a diving well with diving boards, and seating for guests.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is no spectator room inside the facility for parents. Currently, the little league bleachers are used behind the roll up doors for spectators.

In Their Own Words

Daniel Gonzalez

Above and left: Current conditions at Lobo Stadium

Dr. Guidry talks facts of bond election

Longview ISD is asking voters to consider five bond propositions that would fund renovations and upgrades at the aging 50-year-old high school, improve athletic facilities including a new natatorium, and install energy-efficient upgrades districtwide to lower costs.

Dr. Wayne Guidry, LISD Assistant Superintendent of Finance, detailed the the facts driving the bond proposal, specifically the high school’s plumbing, HVAC systems, and other infrastructure require major overhauls, forcing the district to divert money from its operating budget for repairs instead of instruction.

GUIDRY

“When you find districts that are using operating money for renovations, you’ll find that they have lower salaries,” he said. “Our system was not designed to do so.”

WHAT IS THE IMPACT FOR TAXPAYERS?

But what is the impact for taxpayers?

The bond package would increase property taxes by $10 per year on an average $200,000 home, or about 83 cents per month, according to Guidry.

FUNDING CHALLENGES FACING ALL DISTRICTS

Guidry said the district, like others statewide, has received no increase in state funding since 2019 despite historic infla-

tion impacting construction costs. Addressing facility needs now through bonds will save taxpayer money compared to delaying, he added.

“Passing a bond now will save taxpayers money because addressing needs today is cheaper than delaying,” said Guidry.

MOST DISTRICT MONEY IS SPENT IN CLASSROOMS

The finance chief stressed that the district relies on bonds to preserve operating funds strictly for instruction and staff costs. Longview ISD currently spends 65% of its budget in the classroom, above the 62% state average.

“We try to utilize our operating funds for the classroom, for our people, for our students, for our staff members there, and utilize bond funds for the construction,” Guidry explained.

A RECORD OF RESPONSIBILITY

Dr. Guidry touted the district’s track record of superior financial accountability ratings over the past decade from the Texas Education Agency.

“For the past decade, we’ve received superior ratings just last year, we were seeing a perfect score. This year we’re at a 98. So we’re very proud,” he said.

The district offers higher-than-average teacher pay and $3.5 million in annual bonus incentives, Dr. Guidry added, “Which contributes to low staff turnover relative to state norms.”

“And the result of that is we are fully

staffed when it is time to begin school in August. We don’t utilize substitute teachers in our classrooms to kick the new school year off,” he said. “There’s a direct correlation between how we spend money and Longview ISD having one of the lowest turnover rates.”

Election day is May 4, early voting in April

Ballots to be cast at Broughton, Longview City Hall

Early Voting is April 22-30 and Election Day is May 4, 2024. Any LISD resident who is registered to vote may cast a ballot in this election. Voters will be asked to vote “For” or “Against” five separate propositions.

VOTING BY MAIL

Applications for voting by mail should be received no later than the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Applications should be sent to:

Gregg County Elections

PO Box 2827

Longview, TX 75606

If an application for a ballot by mail is faxed or emailed, the applicant must also mail the original application so that the early voting clerk receives the original no

later than four days after receiving the emailed or faxed copy.

LOCATION & TIMES

EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS

Broughton Community Center

801 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Longview City Hall

300 W Cotton St.

EARLY VOTING TIMES

Monday, April 22 — Friday, April 26: 8 a.m. — 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 27: 10 a.m. — 2 p.m.

Monday, April 29 — Tuesday, April 30: 8 a.m. — 8 p.m.

ELECTION DAY VOTING TIME

Saturday, May 4: 7 a.m. — 7 p.m.